Let’s say you decide to put your vacation home on AirBnB or VRBO. You’ll want professional-quality photos to show it to its best advantage, right? Or maybe you’re fluffing your River Oaks home in advance of a magazine photo shoot. (Congratulations!) Or your real estate agent has hired an architectural photographer in preparation to list your home for sale.
In any of these cases – or maybe you simply want excellent photos for your own files and memories – here are some simple tips to showcase your home in its best light. And, yes, lighting is one of the areas covered.
These tips come from Wade Blissard, a photographer at Greenwood King’s office on Voss, as well as TK Images, the company that Cameron and I always use. I’ve thrown in a few of our own house-prep suggestions, too.
Outside
- Remove all signage, including security notices, real estate signs, election signs and holiday decorations.
- Remove leaves and dead shrubs. Mow the grass.
- Move any garbage and recycling bins out of view of the camera. Adjust outdoor furniture and remove any unattractive potted plants, toys and rusty barbecue equipment.
- Sweep the porch and patio.
- Would your house, patio and deck benefit from power-washing? Consider doing so. You can rent the equipment.
- Remove the Polaris, if the pool is in your photos. But do turn on any water feature, such as a fountain or waterfall.
- Close all doors and windows. Adjust blinds so they are all in the same position when viewed from outside. If you’re photographing outdoors at dusk, turn on all of your indoor and outdoor lights so that your house glows.
- Make sure all hoses and sprinklers are out of sight. However, you may want to have a hose handy – maybe hooked up to a spigot around the corner – in case you wish to water the concrete out front. Light reflected from the wet concrete at dusk adds sparkle to the photos.
- Move any parked cars from the driveway or front curb.
General inside
- Turn off all fans.
- Fluff pillows, fix cushions, straighten lampshades and artwork.
- Vacuum carpets and mop hard floor surfaces. The aim is to remove debris, grime and footprints.
- Hide visible electric cords and outlets.
- Remove clutter – yes, we know, easier said than done. Clutter includes remotes, chargers, reading material, throws and blankets, shoes on the floor, clothes on the furniture, framed photos and knickknacks. Our general rule is, no more than three items on any horizontal surface.
Kitchen
- Continuing with the clutter rule – remove just about every single thing from countertops, including small appliances, cannisters, fake floral arrangements, cooking stuff, tea kettle, wine holder, cookbooks. One charming bouquet of flowers and/or one nicely arranged bowl of fruit is all you need. If you feel compelled to show off your butter-yellow KitchenAid mixer, at least hide the cord.
- Remove everything from the sink, including soap dispenser, sponges, washcloths, etc.
- Clear off the top of the refrigerator. Remove all magnets.
- Remove the pet bowls, floor mats and kitchen trash can.
- Remove highchairs, booster seats and child-proof locks.
- Close all cabinets and drawers. If you have glass-front cabinets, arrange your dishes and glasses nicely.
Bedrooms
- Remove the clutter from the bedside tables, such as chargers, tissues, books, phone, personal devices.
- Make your bed! Get extra pillows from another bedroom, if needed, to make the bed look luxurious and comfortable. Make sure the bedspread or duvet is even on all sides.
- Check under the bed and make sure nothing is visible.
- Remove personalized names and decals from the wall.
Bathrooms
- Remove the clutter from countertops and the shower/bath. Put away toothbrushes, razors, make-up, toilet brush, air freshener.
- Remove bath mats. Close toilet lid.
- Get out your best fluffy towels, preferably white or cream, and hang them neatly.
- Will your shower curtain enhance or detract from a photo? Proceed accordingly. If you have a glass enclosure, be sure it’s sparkling clean.
- Clean the sink, tub, toilet, mirrors and floor.
- A potted orchid or vase of flowers is all you need by way of bathroom décor for photography.
Lighting
- Turn on all the lights in the house for the photography.
- Important: Be sure all of the light bulbs in your house give off the same color. This sounds minor, but it’s essential to the quality of the photos. Plus, your home will look better in person, too. The ideal lighting is LED soft-white. They cast a clean glow and make everything look better. Avoid bright bluish-white lighting and, especially, fluorescent lighting, which casts a murky green haze in photography.
